Chronic Pain: Levorphanol, Methadone, and the N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor

Synopsis:

This article from the Journal of Palliative Medicine discusses the use of Levorphanol and Methadone as an NMDA receptor inhibitor when treating chronic neuropathic pain.  The link provided below leads to a letter to the editor.  A couple of very interesting palliative care topics are brought up in this letter.  The most intriguing being the difference between evidence based medicine in a hospital setting versus home care.  The author’s main point being that many physicians find quality treatment plans in home care settings that are not backed up in controlled trials.  This brings up an important question:  are controlled trials on a particular course of treatment relevant when treating patients in drastically different health care environments?

Source:

Journal of Palliative Medicine

Vol/Page/Date:

September 2009, 12(9): 765-76

Resource Type:

Journal Article

Author/Source:

Jack P. McNulty

Date of Resource:

2009-09-07